Here’s the What’s What on Hiring Pro House Painters
A business practice that is becoming more common in the house painting industry is something most homeowners are not aware of. Many house painting companies, especially large national franchises do not do their own work. You should hire professionals if you think that you're getting professional help to paint your home. You can save time and money by knowing the difference between general labor crews or professional painters.
What can you expect from a professional painter?
Professional painters go beyond being a guy or gal with a paintbrush. They have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the paint life cycle, from the preparation of the area to the maintenance of high-quality work for a long time. This knowledge is based on national standards and special training programs.
House-painting companies won't hire professional painters for your home. Many companies don't have professional painters in their ranks. They then sell their services to homeowners who don't know them, and then they pass the contract on to sub-contractors to complete the work. These people are simply a liaison between the homeowner and the company, splitting the money 50/50 with their painting crew. This practice is not good for the homeowner, but it can be dangerous.
Professional Painters Are Worth It
W-2 employees can help painting companies be more productive by offering ongoing training for their workers. Employers are trained to use the most efficient equipment and techniques. This is a best practice in the industry. They follow the Painting & Decorating Contractors of America standards for craftsmanship to ensure consistency in quality from job to job.
Professional Quality Painting
Three stages are required for professional painters to complete a project: Prep and Paint.
Preparation work is essential for any painting job. Preparing your project before painting is a time-consuming task that professional painters take great care of. To ensure paint adheres properly, professional painters must clean and dry surfaces. The painters also protect the surrounding areas by covering and removing any items or surfaces they don't want to paint. Although these tasks can be time-consuming, professional painters care more about the quality of their work and their ability to honor their craftsmanship warranty.
Proffessionals have the right tools when it comes to painting. House painters Denver pros prefer to use high-quality materials rather than cheap shortcuts in order to ensure their work lasts until the time comes when you need to repaint.
Final touches include cleaning up and repairing any damaged areas. The homeowner and the foreman walk through the project together to determine the scope of work. This is an important step in ensuring that the final product meets all standards. The punch out allows homeowners and companies to see any deficiencies in the finished product before they are considered done.
Painting companies cannot control or regulate the subcontracted workers' methods for completing a painting job due to legal restrictions. This makes it nearly impossible to ensure professional standards. It is difficult to vet outside contractors. This I have experienced firsthand. It isn't always easy to find a subcontract crew to fix mistakes or improve work quality.
The primary contractor might refuse to pay crew members until problems are fixed. A homeowner may find it difficult to accept a subcontractor's work until the problem is fixed.
These cases are not only about fixing the mistakes but also the only way a subcontractor can collect their money is to file a mechanic’s lien on the property of the homeowner to force them to pay the painting company.
These situations may seem extreme, but they actually happen more often than you might realize.
Paint Crew: Who's in Your Home?
I have found that subcontractors who are allowed to work for their own purposes and paid only a small percentage of the overall painting contract feel that they can make the most money if they get the job done quickly. They aren't being directed to or compensated in any way that encourages them take the time required to do the job right and not cut corners.
This speaks volumes about their character. You would expect crew members to treat your home well. Your family and belongings wouldn't be at risk if the company you contracted would send unscrupulous people to paint your home.
It would surprise you.
While I was working for one of the largest national franchise paint companies, they never did a criminal background screening on any of their sub-contract crew members. They never even met all the crew before assigning them the jobs.
You can choose whether you want a painting contractor to do their own labor or hire one that does. However, it is important to ensure that all people involved in your painting project have been thoroughly vetted and drug tested.
Contractor Safety Plan
The homeowner liability is another important issue that is often overlooked. Every legitimate painting business has an OSHA-based safety education program for its workers to ensure safe work practices. As you know, ladder falls are among the most common workplace accidents. An authorized painting company pays workers' comp insurance premiums to each employee, so they are protected in case of an unfortunate event.
Professional painters often need to be familiar with and demonstrate the OSHA-regulated safety protocol
- Fall Protection and Safety
- Safety for Hot and Cold Weather
- Respiratory Safety and Lead Awareness
- Hearing Protection
- Safety for Heavy Machinery, Pressure Washing, And Airless Sprayer
Crew members that are not employees may be sub-contractors for many crews. They may be sub-contractors or paid under the table for their labor by the subcontractor. In either case, they are not covered under the workers' compensation policy. An uninsured worker can file a claim against the homeowner for any medical bills incurred if they fall from a ladder or are injured while on the job. It's a nightmare.
Don't assume your workers are covered by company insurance. Before hiring someone to work for your company, ask for proof of all insurances.
It's a well-known saying that safety is an accident in the workplace. Good safety practices don't come naturally, they are learned. Consider this: Is your painting company not training or insuring its workers?
General Liability Insurance
You could lose your money if something goes wrong with your painting project. Employers must have a minimum $1 million general liability and worker's comp insurance. This is required by most states.
General Liability Insurance protects your rights from being held legally liable for injuries and accidents that happen during your painting job. It protects you and your contractor from being held responsible for any damage to your home.
Without General Liability Insurance you must trust that the company will cover repairs to your house if it is damaged. A costly mistake can be making five gallons of paint drip onto your car's roof. Even in the best circumstances, mistakes do happen. Don't try to save money hiring uninsured companies. You could end up paying more over the long term.
Last but not least, ensure that every member of the crew is covered by the company's General Liability Insurance and Worker's Comp.
How much does it cost to hire a professional painter
When looking for painting estimates, homeowners often wonder "Why is there such an enormous difference in prices between painting companies?"
When comparing the proposals of different companies, it is common to notice price fluctuations. Variances could be caused simply by a different scope of work. This means that one company plans to do more work than the other. Another reason for the difference is when you compare a legitimate company with an illegitimate (one who doesn’t have workers’ comp coverage or licensing), It doesn't matter if the price of the same job is different, it is because the companies are not comparing apples to apples.
These are the areas where painting companies invest to ensure that their customers get the best quality professionalism and art:
- High-quality professional painters can be found, hired, trained, and screened.
- Follow the Painting & Decorating Contractors of America's guidelines for workmanship on all jobs
- Maintain the necessary insurance and workers' comp levels
- Conduct an OSHA-based safety education program
Businesses that do business in the right manner will likely cost more, which can impact their offer price to the customer. The homeowner may not be affected by the dilemma of the business owners, but the result is almost always happy and well-protected customers.
There will always be customers that need to choose the lowest bidder. But there are also times when everything works out well when you use a middleman or illegal painting company, saving money and all the while. But it's easy to see the dangers and gamble these types of business practices can cause customers to.
Questions to ask before you hire a painter
It is important to ask the right questions when you are looking for a painting contractor to paint your home.
- Are they contractors or employees?
- Are all workers fully covered under the company’s general liability insurance, worker’s comp and commercial vehicle coverage?
- Is it possible to have background checks and drug testing on everyone who is assigned to my project?
- What safety training and programs are you requiring your employees to take?
- How do you measure your company's quality standard?
- Are you able to provide proof of training, and all other insurances?
These are the qualities that you consider most important when choosing a contractor to paint your home. It is not always the best option to go with the cheapest.
Jay's Painting LLC is aware that we might not be the best option for you, but we can assure you that we will be safest. We are proud to have received numerous awards and affiliations that will prove our professionalism and high-quality work. Get in touch with us today to request an estimate or for more information.
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